


A family matter

by Zoe__eoZ



Category: Home and Away (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Protective Older Brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23053867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoe__eoZ/pseuds/Zoe__eoZ
Summary: After Kyle gets shot in prison, it's time to reevaluate his decisions. Was it worth it to go to jail for Isla?His brothers don't think so.Set after All or NothingPreviously published on ff.net
Relationships: Kyle / Isla, Kyle / Tamara
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> …
> 
> Let's talk about Isla real quick. Anyone else hate that storyline? I was with Ricky the entire time. She tried to warn Kyle but the stubborn romantic that he is, he wouldn't listen.
> 
> I wanted to shake him so bad. Even Isla's ex seemed like a nice level-headed guy and he should have for sure gotten through to Kyle, but no…
> 
> I honestly feel like it was bad writing, too. And when they kind of implied at the end of All or Nothing that Isla and Kyle were going to stay together, I didn't like it either. Poor guy wants a real family of his own. He doesn't need this crap.
> 
> Which is why I wrote this story...

Heath was reeling. The recent events had all taken a toll. The whole ordeal with Bianca kidnapped, then the prison incident where he'd had to see his little brother almost bleed out and then still treated like a criminal, and now the news about a baby.

For Bianca he had to try and keep it together, but when he looked over at her sleeping form now, so close to him that he could feel her soft breaths against his skin, it all came crashing down on him.

The pain at losing Rocco was still so raw, it was downright scary. He was both excited and terrified of this new life growing inside of Bianca.

Images of Rocco flickered through his mind, of Darce and Harley.

And then, Kyle. Shot, in a heap on the floor… The kid had talked about this girl, Isla, about taking the fall for her and suddenly things had made so much more sense. He had puzzled over this for too long. How the hell Kyle had lost touch that much that he had done this thing they had accused him of.

Now that it turned out he hadn't, Heath was ready to get his brother the hell out of prison.

With a sigh, he finally allowed sleep to come drag him away. Tomorrow, though, tomorrow he'd get on it. All of it. Snaking his arms around Bianca to hold her close, he closed his eyes.

* * *

…

Kyle closed his eyes, digging his heel into the bed over and over again. The pain was awful, and since he was an inmate, they had only allowed him the bare minimum of pain meds.

At least he was in a real hospital, not just the prison, so he was getting decent care. Of course they had chained him to the bed, both arms, both legs, even, like he was some murderer or monster, and it didn't help with trying to get comfortable one bit.

But he had finally seen Isla. Taking a few shuddering breaths, he thought of her as he tried to stop from writhing too much.

His breaths were starting to take on a weird staccato rhythm, the wound in his abdomen hurting too much, his shoulder revolting. Groans escaped him as he involuntarily shook the chains of the handcuffs binding him. Gritting his teeth he tried to breathe through the waves of pain that were beginning to obliterate him.

Something wasn't right.

Isla… He had been so glad to see her again, to know that she did care…

But the pain…

* * *

…

An alarm went off and Rachel groaned. "It's that inmate from the prison," she said, huffing. She wasn't a fan of having to deal with a criminal on her ward, at all. It didn't matter that apparently he had saved that guard. He was still a criminal, and she didn't want him here.

"You wanna go check on him or shall I?"

She smiled at the new nurse. The girl was a real gem, a sweet country girl that had somehow found her way into the city and didn't mind taking on the patients no one else liked to deal with.

"Thanks Tammy, that'd be amazing. I'll owe you one."

The girl returned the smile as she got up, finishing the last bite of her cookie - another thing that was great about her. For every night shift, she brought a treat.

Indeed, she was a fantastic addition to the ward.

Rachel turned around, calling her back before she could reach the hallway. "Tammy!"

"Yeah?" That sweet smile again.

"If he gives you trouble…"

"Trust me, I can handle myself."

Rachel had no doubt about that.

* * *

…

"Everything alright?"

A nurse had appeared in the doorframe, then slowly walked closer as Kyle turned his head to look at her.

Closing his eyes, then opening them again, he tried to focus, tried to keep breathing, too. He was probably sounding like a walrus right about now, but he couldn't care less. All he wanted was for that pain to stop.

"It hurts," he choked out, unbidden tears making their way down his temples as he lost the fight, slowly but surely, and something had brought the nurse over rather quickly because suddenly she was right there, looking down on him, her bored expression changed into one of genuine worry.

His heart made a jump. Was his mind playing tricks on him? The pain making him go crazy? No, this really was her.

"Tamara?"

"Kyle?! Oh my gosh! What… it's you? You're the…"

"... Inmate from the prison riot? Yeah… Things… went a little south after you left the Bay…" He had meant to make it sound light, but going by the look she gave him now before casting her eyes down and getting to work, examining him, he could tell that she had picked up on the underlying darkness.

They hadn't even spoken after Casey…

"Nngh," it escaped him as her fingers grazed his injured side, his train of thought completely derailing. He couldn't breathe…

"Kyle… it's okay, you're okay. I'm just going to call for the doc to have another look at you, alright?"

"Tam-" He tried to say something, but couldn't. Pressing the call button by his side, Tamara stroked his cheek with her other hand.

"You're going to be okay… Shhhh. Just try to breathe with me. In… and out…"

He stared at her, wide-eyed and panicked, clutching her wrist as she moved her hand toward his abdomen again, shaking his head.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kyle." She smiled at him, holding his hand, just waiting with him until the doctor arrived. And even then, she stayed.

"You'll be okay," she kept saying, and he desperately wanted to believe her. But he hadn't been okay in a too damn long time…

* * *

…

"Did you know about this?"

"About what, mate? That he got himself into prison? Yeah."

"That he took the fall for this girl!"

Brax ran a hand through his hair, shooting Ricky a glance, where she sat on the ground, playing with Case. Heath sounded livid.

"Mate, Kyle's a grown man. He made a decision. Ricky tried to warn him, multiple times-"

"He's our brother, Brax. Our little brother. The only one we have left, by the way. That makes him _our_ responsibility. Not Ricky's. I don't blame her. I know she tried, and all that while she had a bloody hard time herself. But you, mate…"

"Heath-"

"No, you listen to me now. We'll sort this, once and for all. We'll make this Isla fess up and get Kyle out of prison. - He almost bloody died in there, mate. You should have seen him…" Heath paused, and Brax's stomach turned. He had failed the boy. He had failed both of them.

He was supposed to be the big brother, taking care of his family, but lately he had done a pretty bad job.

"I know, alright," he now said, envisioning Heath on the other hand, clutching his phone, head against the cool wall before him, and he slumped down on the couch, his gaze holding Ricky's.

"Let me talk to him," she whispered, but he shook his head. Ricky felt guilty, even though she had tried to help Kyle see the light. The kid had simply been-

"He's in a bad place, Brax. We should have seen it. Should have been there for him. _I_ should have come out to deal with him. Losing Case, then you… Breaking up with Phoebe, then the thing with his kidneys and losing the babies… Poor kid couldn't catch a break. It's no wonder he latched onto Isla and that false hope she brought with her. He was desperate to have _someone_. Anyone. And his brothers weren't there to fill that hole."

The truth stung. Brax clenched his teeth, closing his eyes. Heath was right. In his attempt to keep Ricky and baby Case safe, he had neglected his role as a brother. He hadn't looked out for either Heath or Kyle, simply assuming they'd be alright.

But they hadn't been.

Now Gunno had almost killed Bianca and Heath, had almost killed Kyle, too, and while he knew that Heath would be okay, he wasn't so sure about Kyle anymore.

Looking to Ricky as of for guidance, he got strength from the nod she gave him.

"Let's go visit him," she said, loud enough for Heath to hear her, "Talk to him again."

"He won't listen. I didn't get to stay with him for long, but he seemed determined to keep this whole thing up once Isla showed up. That woman is bad news, Brax. I don't doubt she didn't force him to, the idiot did that one himself, but she never came forward with the truth, either."

"I know." Brax ran a hand over his face again, trying to think. Ricky was right. They'd have to talk some sense into Kyle, get the authorities to pick up the case again and get him out. No way in hell would he let his brother pay for someone else's crime. Kyle didn't owe Isla anything, and she didn't have anything to offer, either.

"If Kyle so desperately wants a family, we'll make sure he knows he has one. Coming to the city," he told Heath, watching Ricky smile and nod at him, little Casey happily playing by her side. "I'll meet you at the hospital."

With that he ended the conversation, giving a loud sigh as he stretched on the couch.

"You sure you're up for it?" Ricky asked. "I could always go out there by myself and you and Case stay at the farm."

The farm… They had built themselves a new life out here, a very different one. A small farm with a few cows and sheep, and chickens, a few acres of farmland where they grew their own food. Not much, but enough to make a bit of money and stay away from the cities and towns. The city seemed farther away than it ever had.

"You know," Ricky said, "We don't talk about this all that often, but when you were… when we thought you were dead, Kyle and I… he really was my only family except for Case back then. We've been through some awful things together... I feel like I should have stuck around more after everything that happened. Maybe this time he'll listen when I-"

"Nah," Brax argued. "It'll have to be me. I mean… he'll need you there. _I_ will need you, but… I gotta do this, Rick. He's my little brother and I… I screwed this up…" He felt a lump in his throat, tears burning in his eyes now, tears he was trying to hold back with a sniff and a few deep breaths, but they were undeniable.

The kid had almost died of kidney failure before and hadn't it been for Ash - for Martin Ashford rather than Darryl Braxton - Kyle would already be dead.

This one was on Brax to sort. No one else.

"Okay," Ricky said, sitting down beside him, handing over a bubbly Casey who quickly stalked over on wobbly legs to hug his dad. "Let's get ready then…"

…


	2. Suffered enough

"I see it." The doctor put the portable ultrasound machine away, gently cleaning the cool gel off the left side of Kyle's stomach. Then she gave him a pat on the shoulder, smiling at him encouragingly. "Mr. Braxton. Kyle… There seems to be some more blood in your abdomen. Probably nothing serious, but I'd like to open it up again and re-suture if necessary. With your history of kidney failure we need to be extra careful."

Kyle nodded, trying his best to comprehend. He was vaguely aware that he was still holding Tamara's hand but he couldn't for the life of him let go. She was his lifeline, his anchor keeping him from drifting off.

Sweat was pearling on his forehead as he fought the pain, almost relieved that they'd get him back into the OR. At least there they'd knock him out.

"We're a little worried about your transplant," the doctor, Emily Rosen, continued, "The readings are not too concerning, but the organ can't handle too much stress so we'll have to be quick."

"Okay," he pressed out between harsh breaths, staring at the woman.

Her smile was unwavering. "I hear you saved someone's life."

He grimaced, feeling stupid. What did that matter now anyways?

"You did good, Kyle. Let me help you _feel_ good again, too," Dr. Rosen said, still smiling sympathetically. When she talked again, she was addressing someone else. "Let's get him ready. Quick."

Tamara gave a grave nod before he watched her unhook him from the monitors, busy hands everywhere now, until the doctor touched the chain of his handcuffs.

"These will have to come off now," she said, and only then did Kyle become aware of the policeman that must have guarded him this whole time.

"Ma'am, he's an inmate, I can't-"

"Here he's my _patient_. Take them off."

"I will, for the surgery."

"No. Now." The doctor looked at the guard sternly. "Does it look like he is about to go anywhere?"

Grudgingly the man shook his head before he eventually complied. Kyle's arms fell onto the mattress, his legs finally free too, and Tamara smiled down on him, grabbing his hand again.

"It'll be over soon," she told him, her voice calm and soothing, reminding him of other days. Better days.

As they wheeled him away, he tried to focus on that voice, on her face, and not on his too fast breathing or the pain or the glaring lights above.

* * *

…

The hallways felt like a damn maze, and Heath found himself lost. Looking around, he spotted a nurse and quickly jogged over to her, asking for the way.

"Excuse me," he said, "I'm looking for my brother. He was admitted yesterday after the prison riot?"

When those last words had left him, the nurse's expression changed into one of recognition. "The inmate."

"Yes," he gritted out, ready for the nurse to become stand-offish and disrespectful. Kyle didn't deserve this stigma. Heath knew all too well what it meant. All of the Braxton brothers had at one point been in prison, but Kyle's sentence had been longer than anyone else's.

To his surprise, the nurse gave him a sympathetic look. "They had to take him back into the OR about an hour ago. Let me check whether he's out yet."

"Back into the OR?" Heath exhaled in a puff. "What does that mean? He needed more surgery? Is he alright?" Crap, that didn't sound good at all.

"Mr…"

"Heath. Braxton…"

"Mr. Braxton, your brother was bleeding internally. Dr. Rosen picked it up early and is taking care of it as we speak." She had walked him over to the nurse station, where she was typing something quickly, checking her computer. "I see here that they just finished in there. He should be out in a little bit."

"So is he okay?"

"I'll tell Dr. Rosen you're here. She will give you the update. - Why don't you have a seat over there and she'll be with you in a moment."

Heath forced himself to take a few breaths and just nod, when all he really wanted to do was explode, bang his hand into the wall and yell at the poor woman in front of him to give him the information already. But what good would that do? So he kept his mouth shut and simply walked over to the designated area, hoping to see the doc soon and find out whether Kyle was okay.

* * *

…

He had been waiting for way longer than a bloody moment when Brax came strutting down the hallway, pushing his sleeves up as he went, as if he was preparing for a sparring match.

"Where's he? What are you doing out here?"

"Good to see you too," Heath mumbled half to himself as he slowly got up to give his oldest brother a handshake that felt hollow and too distant. Before he had finished that thought, Brax pulled him in for an actual hug, surprising Heath. But then they both didn't care as seconds ticked by and they still clung to each other.

Eventually, they both pulled away, and Heath looked at his brother grimly. "His doc is supposed to come out here and fill me in. Looks like they had to operate again. Something about an internal bleed they caught…"

Brax pressed his lips together, folding his arms behind his head as he began pacing. "They say anything about how serious it was? What about his kidney issues?"

"His kidney…?" Heath felt like an idiot. In all this he hadn't even made that connection. What if the injury had affected the transplant after all? Bending over, he took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. "Crap, mate. I don't know." Suddenly he felt lightheaded, memories coming back to him he hadn't ever wanted to relive. Baby Rocco… The day Kyle had called to tell him about Casey, because Brax had been hurting too much to do it himself. Or the moment he had called to tell Heath that Brax was dead, even if they had all later found out it wasn't true. The pain had been all too real for way too long anyways. And when Ricky had called him to say that Kyle was in kidney failure… He had been away on some stupid "business trip" with the husband of one of Bianca's coworkers and friends, trying to make friends and acquire a position in the guy's stupid sports retail company, only to get stuck out there, needing days before he could make it to the hospital. Thankfully Kyle had made it alright back then, even without Heath, but…

He hadn't been there for him. The guilt he carried because of it was still there.

"Mate." Brax patted his back now and Heath slowly straightened, just in time to see a tall black haired woman walk toward them, all business and curt.

"Mr. Braxton?"

"Yeah. Yeah, Heath. This is my other brother…"

"Darryl Braxton," Brax introduced himself, shaking the doctor's hand. "Heath said Kyle had to go back into the OR?"

The woman nodded, her gaze wandering between Heath and Brax. Motioning with her hand, she said, "Why don't you follow me to his room. He should be back in a few minutes. He's still waking up, but the surgery went well. - We were a bit worried about his transplant. Turns out the bullet he received to the stomach nicked his kidney, but the damage was thankfully minor, and we're hoping he will recover without further procedures becoming necessary."

"If he needs a new one, I was told I can be a donor."

Heath shot Brax a look as the doctor said, "I hope that won't be necessary, but it's good to know we have a backup." She smiled, and all Heath could think was that Brax hadn't even been there back when Kyle had gone into kidney failure. He hadn't even known about their youngest brother's struggles, instead learning about it all well after the fact. Because he had made them all believe he was dead. So no, he had not been "told" he could be a donor. He had been informed that he could have been one, could have made things so much easier for Kyle…

He swallowed, realizing that he was upset and being unfair. Brax had done all of that to protect them all. It had been a screwed up way of doing it, but he had had his reasons. And now was not the time to be angry about it. They had more urgent matters to deal with.

Like their little brother.

"Heath?"

He turned around to see a petite blonde walk toward him, and he instantly remembered her from the prison. Isla. Clenching his jaw, he turned around again, following the doctor.

"Not now, Isla."

It was Brax's turn to shoot him a glance, mouthing, "That her?" And Heath nodded.

"I just want to visit Kyle, see how he's doing."

The doctor was talking to them about their youngest brother, about the surgery, but Heath couldn't focus, not when this woman was here, following in their tracks like a little duckling. Whirling around, he stopped her, feeling a little satisfied when he noticed her flinch away.

"He's not doing good, what do you think?" he shot, and she looked visibly taken aback.

"I…"

He waved her off. "Don't answer that. - He was in that place because of you! He almost got killed yesterday, because the idiot loves you for some reason and felt like he needed to make up for _your_ mistakes. So that _your_ kids wouldn't have to suffer because of it! You know why he did that? Because he knows what it's like to be taken away from your family. He knows what being a foster child feels like and he didn't want that for your daughters. Because in our family, we've learned from the mistakes of our parents. We stick by our kids, always."

"You're right. I screwed up. I never wanted this to happen."

Heath sighed, deflating a bit. "I know you didn't," he allowed, but then Brax put up a hand and took a step forward, the doctor waiting for them with an exasperated expression.

"Gentlemen. Can this wait? This has no place here," she said with a stern voice.

"Of course," Heath was quick to say, then he patted Brax's chest, already turning to walk with the doctor again when he heard Brax address Isla after all, and he grimaced to himself as he couldn't help but listen while slowly walking away.

"Isla, right? Listen. We've all screwed up on many occasions, trust me. I get it. We all make mistakes, and Kyle is a grown man who can make his own decisions. But what he did? His decision?" Brax shook his head, sniffing. "It was too big a mistake. _You_ screwed up, Isla, but _he_ is paying for it. If you really care about him, you pull yourself together and sort your own mess. Be an example for your daughters. Allow them to grow up with a responsible adult. Anything else will screw them over, too. Do you want that?"

She shook her head, noticeably quiet.

"Mate," Heath urged, walking back a bit to come and get the big fella, but Brax stretched out an arm as if to ward him off.

"In a second," he told Heath, then focused back on Isla. "Let him go," he muttered, a hand on her shoulder, his head down at her level. "Let Kyle go. Turn yourself in and give him back his life."

"I love him. He… he loves me. I don't-"

"Sometimes loving someone means making the hard decision and letting them go. If you really do love him, you won't allow him to go back there. A man with a kidney transplant, with as big a heart as his, he is not made for a place like prison. Trust me, I've been there."

Isla took a deep breath. For a moment it looked like she was about to say something else, to argue, but then she nodded, tears now making their way down her cheeks. "Tell him… never mind. Don't tell him anything," she said, stifling a sob, then she turned around and walked away. Just like that.

Brax and Heath exchanged a glance.

"Let's hope that's it," Heath muttered as Brax caught up with him, and his brother rolled his eyes.

"It will be. I'll make sure of it if I have to."

"Kyle won't like it…"

Brax raised an eyebrow. "Kid needs to focus on getting better. He'll get over her. She's not the first woman to break his fragile heart."

Heath chuckled despite himself. The big fella had a point.

* * *

…

"Oi!"

Kyle blinked, feeling groggy. Like he had a hangover or something.

"Oi, Kylie. Come on, you got visitors."

Heath… With a scoff, he turned his head to look at his older brother, a bit shocked when he saw that Brax was there, too.

"Brax?"

The oldest smiled at him, looking rather relieved and Kyle felt a pang of guilt.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, indicating the place and himself. "Didn't mean to make you come out here. I'm fine though."

"Yeah, no," Heath said, slapping him over the head and making Kyle roll his eyes. "Mate, you're far from fine and if it takes the big fella _and_ me being here to put some sense back into you, so be it."

Kyle sighed, wincing a bit when he tried to sit up straighter.

Immediately, Brax's flat hand was on his chest, keeping him down, and Kyle glared up, suddenly defensive as he grabbed his oldest brother's arm to try and push him away, to no avail.

"You'll stay put," Brax told him, his tone stern, making Kyle feel like a small boy being reprimanded by a parent. He scoffed, annoyed.

"Take your hand off me."

Brax pressed his lips together, shaking his head. "Mate. How do I need to put this: you are a danger to yourself and before we haven't screwed your head on straight again, we won't leave you alone. Not even here."

"What are you even talking about?! I didn't shoot myself if that's-"

"No, you didn't. But you got yourself a twenty year prison sentence over a woman you barely even know. A woman who does not deserve your help."

"Isla-"

"Is not worth it. Kyle."

After Brax interrupted him again, Kyle flared his nostrils, anger rising in him.

"You don't know her."

"Neither do you."

Kyle scoffed, grinning with disbelief. "Did you come here just to slander my girlfriend and drag my life through the dirt?"

Brax's features softened unexpectedly. "No, mate. I came here because I'm worried about you and I'm done sitting idly by while you ruin your life."

This was stupid. He wasn't ruining his life, and it wasn't like Brax to be so melodramatic. And besides… Yeah, what?

He didn't quite know where it was coming from, but with sudden spite he asked his oldest brother, "Where the hell were you before, huh? When we really needed you? I don't need you here now. I don't need this…" Kyle abruptly tried ripping off the cords to the IV and monitors, making Heath jump forward to stop him, Brax, too. But he didn't care. This was all stupid and he was so done with it. With Brax's big brother act and the tough lecture the big fella thought he could give Kyle.

"Kylie. Oi. Mate…" Heath suddenly came real close and moved to hold Kyle's face in both hands, forcing him to look him in the eyes. "Calm down, or the coppers are just gonna send you right back."

"Did _you_ ask him to come?!" Kyle asked, gritting his teeth. "Did you? Because I don't want him here. He left you to deal with Gunno by yourself, he just… left us and now we're supposed to welcome him back with open arms and let him trample over our lives? I'm done with that."

He hadn't realized he had started to goddamn cry until he felt a sob rise in him, his traitorous body, his traitorous emotions betraying him in front of Brax, and Heath, and…

Pressing his lips together, he tried to breathe as Heath shook him, if gently.

"Mate, I get that you're upset. I was, too. But it's done now. We can talk about this another time and I promise you we will. But right now, the big fella and I are here to help you."

"I don't need your help," Kyle muttered petulantly, unable to stop himself. He was hurting, and not just because of his body…

Heath scoffed, grinning as he shook his head. Behind him, Kyle could see Brax roll his eyes and he was ready to lash out at him again, but before he had a chance, his middle brother jolted him out of his thoughts. "You sure needed my help back at the prison. Where Ash and I found you bleeding out in a heap on the floor, in case you don't remember."

Kyle made a face, trying to look away, but Heath held him in an unrelenting grip.

"Kylie. You can't go back to prison. Not for this woman."

"You don't understand. She… is not a bad person. She made a few bad decisions. But her daughters can't pay the price for that. They deserve a mother-"

"Mate," Brax chimed in, and his tone had taken on a soft if insistent tone. "The girls will be alright. We'll make sure of that. I've done some recon. The dad seems like a fine bloke. They'll be okay with him, they'll be _okay…_ "

"You don't know that!" Kyle knew he probably sounded irrational, but he couldn't help it. This just hit too close to him, and of course his brothers couldn't understand. "What if something happens to him? What… - You don't know what it's like to end up in foster care because the only parent you ever really knew died and the other one, the one who you _know_ is out there somewhere, won't come to get you."

A sudden silence filled the room, only interrupted by Kyle's harsh breathing and stifled sobs, and when Heath moved to hug him, he accepted it without fight, without caring whether it made him seem soft or weak or whatever. He just couldn't help but cling to his brother, trying to catch his breath.

* * *

…

Brax exchanged a look with Heath, the younger one shrugging briefly as he held their crying brother.

Sighing, Brax rubbed his neck, starting to pace. The world outside the window was unaware of what was going on inside, but in his own heart, Brax could feel the despair of their little brother as if it was his own. No, part of it _was_ his own. He had let the kid down more than he had thought - or had dared to admit.

Things with Ricky had been rocky for a while after his reappearance, and that should have clued him in on the fact of just how much they had all suffered during his absence. But he had tried to block it out so he could focus on his girlfriend and baby son.

Case had come around rather quickly once they had made their escape as a family, had built their new life together. The little guy had soon accepted Brax as his dad and had showered him in all the hugs and cuddles and drool he could muster, and the thought made Brax smile even now.

But Ricky, Kyle, and even Heath were no children anymore, and they couldn't forgive as easily, even if they understood his reasons for disappearing on them and keeping up the ruse of having died. Still, the pain they had felt, that had been real and couldn't just be eradicated. Seeing now just how much it had thrown Kyle off the rails, how much the kid had begun to struggle after everything, pained him.

Ricky hadn't held back. She had confronted him often in the first few weeks, had had a need to talk that he had found exhausting, but had accepted, and eventually they had managed to get past all the anger and grief, and even the guilt.

Now, however, that guilt was back with a vengeance, and Brax was determined to make up for it by helping Kyle out of this mess, no matter the cost. He was going to get that kid back to his old self. He was going to get him out of prison and away from that girl, and if he had to, he'd take Kyle to the farm with him. Everything to not have to see him so broken anymore.

Kid had suffered enough. The whole family had suffered enough.


	3. Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I'll try and put my longer Home and Away fic "Blood" on here next. For anyone reading in this tiny fandom on here. :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this a bit.

Kyle took a deep breath, relieved to notice that the pain had considerably subsided. The physical pain.

He scoffed to himself. He was an idiot. Once again, he had believed Isla when she had reassured him of her love and that he hadn't been as stupid as his brothers seemed to think he was.

But five days later, and she hadn't tried to visit again, or ask about him. It had taken him two days to suspect that his brothers could be to blame and when he had confronted them, they hadn't even tried to deny it.

"I simply told her that you don't belong in prison and that she needs to make a decision, for herself and for her children," Brax had said with an offhanded gesture.

"You threatened her."

His oldest brother had given him a look close to an eyeroll but not quite. "Mate. I know you're hurting right now and I'm sorry. But it's time to harden up and focus on yourself. That woman doesn't deserve you throwing your entire life away."

"So what do you want me to do? Tell the cops I was kidding?" Kyle had scoffed. "Yeah, that'll work well."

"It's a start." Brax had given him a hard glare, and Kyle hadn't had anything else to say. And he still didn't.

Isla had been supposed to be his way out of everything. _He_ had been supposed to be _her_ way out. And now, when he thought back on it all, all he could see was a stupid lovelorn idiot that hadn't seen the truth for what it was. That Isla might have liked him well enough, might have been attracted to him, but the only person she really cared about was herself. Not her daughters. Daughters that weren't and never would be his.

The kind of screwed up sense of family he had had landed him here. That he had ever thought he could save these three had been insane. The girls were safest with their dad. And Isla… she didn't know how to care for them or she would have never gotten back into so much trouble. She would always find excuses, she would never stop. He knew that now, had known it for a while, but accepting it was too bloody hard.

He winced as he turned the wrong way, aggravating his side, and clutching at it, he took a few deep breaths until it was better.

"Hey…"

He looked up to see Tamara standing by the door and his face lit up as if of its own accord.

"Hi Tamara."

"You doing okay?"

"Yeh, I'm… getting there."

Her smile felt like home, which was a stupid thought because he hadn't seen in her so long. He didn't know anything about her life anymore. Did she like her job? How was her family? Did she have a boyfriend?

"Your brothers not coming today?"

He grimaced, shrugging. "We had a bit of a… uh, thing."

"A thing, huh?" She chuckled. "Kyle Braxton. You and your brothers don't have things. You have fights. I was there. I've seen my fair share."

It was his turn to chuckle and soon she chimed in again, stepping closer until she was by his side. For a blissful moment, all was light and well, and then their smiles vanished, quiet entering the space between them.

Tamara licked her lips and Kyle couldn't help but stare. When he caught himself, he clenched his teeth, his jaw muscles tightening until they hurt. She still had that effect on him, after all this time, and once more he felt like he had back when she and Case had still been dating and he had tried so hard to keep away, keep his feelings in check.

He had failed then…

"I'm so sorry I never got in touch after Casey…" She trailed off, unable to say it, and Kyle hadn't realized how much it still hurt to talk about his "not-actually" brother's death until she did. A pang went through him and he had to cast his gaze down to collect himself.

"Yeah," he muttered, then looked up and directly at her.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure. Yeah…"

"I went to 'see' him. After… I went to his grave to say goodbye... I wanted to go check on you, but… I saw you with Phoebe and… I figured you had her and didn't really need me to stir up any trouble…"

He couldn't help but chuckle. Just thinking about it pained him and amused him simultaneously. "She and I… that didn't work out in the end. Too much… stuff…" He shook his head, changing directions. As much as he wanted to evade this, he owed Tamara honesty. "She got together with my brother's best friend and… then we all thought Brax had died and I… I'm not proud of it, but I kinda lost it there for a bit. I screwed up a lot, Tamara. Lost my kidneys because of it." He chuckled humorlessly. "I'm kinda glad you weren't there to see it…"

"Kyle…"

He waved her off. Because if he didn't say this now he wouldn't find the courage again. "You know, Phoebe was pregnant. They were my kids, too, but… that didn't work out either."

"You have twins?"

Shaking his head again, he wiped at his eyes, upset that he couldn't keep the tears at bay, and Tamara shot him a concerned glance. "Nah," he explained, "they… they weren't viable. She… we lost them both."

"Oh my gosh. Kyle, I'm so sorry." Her soft hand in his made him feel all the things, made him feel like maybe prison wasn't the end of everything. Maybe Brax and Heath were right and there was more out there for him. A life. And he realized that Isla had never once made him feel like that.

"It's alright," he now sad, smiling up, "I think I got enough wake up calls now. It's time I get it together and get out of prison and get my life back. I might just need a little help…"

"Um… I don't know about prison, but… I'm here for you. No. That sounds like a lie because I wasn't really there for you through all this mess, but… I'm here now, okay? And if you need someone to - I don't know - visit you in jail, or send you letters, or call, I will do it."

"Tam-"

"No, I mean it. I…" She bit her lip in a way that made him wonder whether she even know what effect she still had on him, then she leaned in and kissed his forehead. "You're not alone, Kyle Braxton. Okay? I need you to know that."

He smiled. "Okay…"

* * *

…

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

The police constable looked at the petite woman in front of him, scrutinizing her when she remained silent.

"Ma'am?"

A man stood next to her, giving her an encouraging look and a soft pat on the shoulder, and she took a deep breath, looking up to the man first, then at the constable.

"I have a confession to make?"

He frowned, looking from her to the man and back. And the woman smiled.

"He's the father of my children. I'm sorry, I needed some moral support for this and he… he offered to come. Constable, I have two daughters and I want to do right by them, I want to…" She chuckled, interrupting herself. "I'm sorry. You don't care about all that. What you need to know is that an innocent man is in prison for something _I_ did. His name is Kyle Braxton. He's at the hospital right now, but please make sure he doesn't have to go back in."

"Hold on. You said he went to prison for a crime you committed? Is that correct?"

"Yes sir. Kyle Braxton. Please, this is very important to me. He's about to be sent back to prison after he got injured in that riot?"

Abruptly, the constable connected the dots. That name, he knew it had sounded familiar. The kid was the talk of the force. Had endangered his own life to save one of theirs.

"Come with me, please," he said, springing into action. This was going to change more than one person's life, and he knew that every minute counted.

* * *

…

"Is that… oi!" Heath hollered and Brax blinked, trying to see what his brother was seeing; and then he did. They were back at the hospital and that was indeed Tamara coming out of their brother's hospital room at that very moment.

She blushed as soon as she saw them, and Heath beamed, slapping Brax's shoulder.

"Mate, is she the answer to all our problems or what?"

"What are you on about?"

Heath slapped him over the head, Brax-style, and the big fella shot him a bemused look, slapping him right back.

"Oi, watch it," he said but Heath was already elsewhere with his thoughts.

"Kid never got over her. Trust me. Her being here is either gonna shove him straight into his next crisis or he's gonna forget he ever had a thing for Isla within seconds."

"Hiiiii…" Tamara stretched the word, clearly looking a bit awkward.

"Tamara, hey. Didn't know you had become a nurse, that's amazing!" Heath sounded way too happy even for Brax so he could understand why Tamara looked at him as if he had gone crazy.

"Yes. Thank you. It's been… quite the journey for all of us, I believe."

"You bet. Did you know that Bianca and I are gonna have a baby? - No?"

"That's amazing! I'm so happy for you." Tamara was a trooper. While Brax was still a bit perplexed about his brother's behavior, she was already giving Heath a hug, inquiring about Bianca soon after and it was as if she had never been gone.

And then he finally saw it too. That Heath was probably right. This could be something good for Kyle. Even as just a friend, Tamara had always been able to handle him and his moods, and in turn, he had been there for her. They had gone through tough times together before…

"You been in to see Kyle?" he now asked and Tamara nodded.

"He's doing much better today. Which is good and bad. The police said that they'll probably bring him over to the medical ward in prison soon."

Brax gritted his teeth, nodding grimly. They had all known this day would come.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Heath piped up and Tamara shook her head.

"It's out of our hands at this point. Dr. Rosen said he's cleared for transportation…" Tamara paused, beginning to fidget.

Brax frowned at her. "What?"

She looked up, tilting her head. "I might be able to transfer over there. The ward always needs new nurses, and… that way he'd have a friendly face around. I know that with his transplant he's on daily medication so I'd get to check on him at least once a day…"

A small smile appeared on Brax's face and he exchanged a look with Heath. "The second," he said, too cryptical for Tamara, and Heath grinned and nodded.

Tamara was going to help Kyle forget his pain over Isla, they were sure of it. Maybe not right away, maybe not in a week or a month, but her being here would help him.

* * *

…

They had just sat down with Kyle, when Dr. Rosen escorted a police Sergeant into the room.

"Kyle, this is Sergeant Abernathy. I believe he has some good news for you." She smiled at him, then at his brothers, before she stepped to the side, letting the man talk.

"Mr. Braxton. Someone has come forward claiming responsibility for the crime you were committed for."

Isla. Kyle looked over to his brothers briefly, his heart skipping a beat. No, he thought, ready to deny that whatever she had told the cops could be true, but the longer he stared over at Brax and Heath, the weaker his fighting spirit got. He had tried. He had tried to be a good man and do the right thing, but it hadn't really changed anything. It wouldn't change anything. He knew that Isla wouldn't necessarily have been scared enough to never do anything stupid again anyways and next time, he wouldn't have been able to help her anymore. Maybe her taking the initiative was a good thing.

Maybe it was time he accepted that.

Swallowing a lump he said, "So what does that mean?"

"We will reopen the case. _If_ you tell me whether what she says is true. There were always doubts about your involvement, but since you pleaded guilty and because of your prior records-"

"Tell him, mate, now." Brax's stern voice brokered no argument, and for once, Kyle was relieved to be able to just listen to his orders. Have someone else make the decision for him.

So he nodded, looking away. "Yeah. It's true."

"The woman who said she did it-"

"Isla Schultz."

The Sergeant nodded, making a few notes.

"Sir. He's about to be sent back to prison. Can you… can you get his sentence revoked beforehand?"

Kyle listened with his heart beating in his throat as the man answered Brax's question. "It will take a few days, but if Dr. Rosen here is willing to keep him here at the hospital for a couple more days, we might be able to bridge that time without him having to spend it locked up in a prison ward."

"Absolutely," the doctor said, smiling over at Kyle, and he felt like he could finally breathe again.

Heath appeared by his side, moving to pat him on the injured shoulder, and before Kyle could really react, Brax's loud yell "Oi, you idiot, wrong shoulder!" stopped Heath's arm in mid-air.

"My bad, Kylie."

Kyle grinned, shoving him away. "Easy."

"That's great news, mate!"

Heath ruffled his hair, only to make room for Brax to do the same and Kyle rolled his eyes at both of them. "Alright, alright, stop it, you two."

Despite himself, he smiled up at his older brothers, his insides awhirl with a mix of opposing emotions. There was pain, and disappointment. He was also deeply upset still about Isla. He did love her, he really did, and he had hoped he could be the one to save her. But now he realized that she was finally trying to save herself, to make things better for everyone in her life, including herself, in a way he could have never done. And maybe that was a good thing.

It certainly felt good to know he wouldn't have to go back to prison. And to have his brothers around again was nice. All of them were together, at least for a little while.

As he grew wistful, zoning out a bit as the Sergeant discussed something or other with his brothers, his eyes fell on Tamara, who was walking down the hallway outside, passing by his room as she made her rounds again.

Their gazes met, and her eyes lit up with another smile as she waved to him, stopping in her tracks for a brief moment.

"Good news?" she mouthed, and Kyle nodded, making her smile grow wider as she gave him the thumbs up. And his smile grew wider too.

Maybe, just maybe, things weren't so stuffed up at all anymore.

* * *

**One year later**

* * *

...

"Aw, come here, little fella. You're alright. Let's wipe away those tears and put a fun bandaid on that knee, alright?"

Kyle had picked up his nephew where he had fallen off his little push bike, and was now carrying him into the house. Little Casey clutched his uncle's arm, holding on for dear life, as Kyle smiled at him sideways.

"You'll see. We'll clean it a bit, I'll give you some ointment, and then we'll put a nice Marshall band-aid on it or Chase or… what's the yellow pup's name again?"

"Rubble," Case said with a pout, his voice still a bit shaky from crying so hard, and Kyle beamed at him as if he had just told him the best secret.

"Rubble! Right!"

They had arrived at the bathroom, and Kyle sat the little boy down on a step stool, rummaging for the things he'd need to wrap the scraped knee. Then he went to work.

"This is gonna sting a bit, but I promise you'll be fine…"

As he cleaned the little knee, cheering Casey up as he went, Ricky poked her head into the room, then walked closer with a soft smile on her face.

"Aw, little man. Another scratch?"

"I fell," the kid muttered, extending his arms for his mom to pick him up just as Kyle finished putting the band-aid on.

"Ta da," he made, grinning as Casey beamed at him, suddenly looking proud as he stared at the knee.

"What do you say?" Ricky and Kyle said simultaneously and Casey went over to Kyle again, giving him a hug.

"Thanks uncle Kylie."

Kyle grinned as Ricky rolled her eyes.

"You've been around your uncle Heath a little too much lately, huh, little man?"

As the kid darted off with a grin, Kyle was about to follow when Ricky held him back.

"Let him run. Heath and Brax just got back from shearing. They're outside."

Kyle grinned, shaking his head as a wave of disbelief came over him. Ricky seemed to sense it immediately.

"Still a little crazy, eh? How quickly life can change?"

"Never thought I'd see Heath and Brax work on a farm together."

Ricky nudged him, smiling. "Never thought I'd see you so happy again…"

Kyle chuckled, running a hand over his neck in a self-conscious gesture. "Yeah," he allowed, "to be honest, there was a time when I thought I never would be…"

Ricky's smile faded a bit as she wrapped an arm around him, steering him toward the kitchen. "Come on. Let's have a tea together before all hell breaks loose in here. - Tam gonna be back today?"

"Yeah. Her training is over. She'll officially start working with the Flying Doctors next week."

"Exciting times!" Ricky smiled, cluttering a bit with the cups as she went to prepare the tea while Kyle went to the sink to get some water for the kettle.

"Times are always exciting lately. First I get out of prison, then the move out here, Heath's and Bianca's new baby… I wonder what's next." He chuckled, still not quite believing that they were really all happy, and had been for a while, that they all lived so close together again, under the same roof. That Tamara had followed him out here. And now…

"Can I tell you a secret, Rick?"

The water had boiled and she was pouring it into the prepared cups. Giving him a curious look, she then followed his gaze out the kitchen window, where they could see Brax pick up his son and whirl him around...

"What do you think, Case. Should we shear off your hair, too?" his voice could be heard through the half open window just like Casey's giggles.

"Noooo…"

"I bet mommy would like that… Oi, uncle Heath! Bring over the shears for this one here!"

"Oh, one got away, eh? Uncle Heath is on it!"

Just as he had said it, Harley came toddling along with his big sister in tow, and both older Braxton brothers turned in their direction.

"You _all_ got away? Brax, you handle that one, I'll get these two!" Heath hollered, then broke into a run, trying to catch his kids who ran away laughing and yelling.

...

"Kyle?"

He had zoned out for a bit, following the goings-on out there, but Ricky's gentle voice brought him back in and he turned to face her, a small smile on his face.

"They're so happy…"

She smiled back, looking out again. "They really are… - Are you? Really? You're a city boy after all, and this…"

"Is far from the city." They both chuckled, before Kyle continued. "Yeah. But I'm happy here, teaching music online is better than I thought, and I mean - I get to fly out and play gigs every so often and enjoy the city life, so… It's pretty neat." He paused, taking her in how she looked at him with a genuine happy expression. He knew he didn't really need to ask, because it was so obvious, but he did anyways. "What about you? Are you happy? Brax and you seem to have gotten your groove back."

"We have…" Ricky's smile grew. "Let's talk about you, though. You wanted to tell me something, right?"

Kyle's heart jumped a bit as he cocked his head, looking at her with a smirk. "Tamara is pregnant," he eventually said, and Ricky beamed at him, her arms coming around him in a tight hug.

"Aw, Kyle! I'm so happy for you guys!"

When they parted, he rubbed his neck then held onto the kitchen counter, looking out again. Shooting her a sideways glance, he pressed his lips together, trying to keep his emotions in check and failing.

"You're scared," Ricky concluded, rubbing his back with one hand as she shot him a concerned look.

"It's just… after the first time…" He couldn't bring himself to say it, to talk about it again. But he didn't have to. Ricky knew. More than anyone else. She had been through it herself, and she had been there for him, too. She had been the only one who had been there for him then.

And she was here for him now…

"Hey," she muttered, leaning in, still rubbing his back as she nudged him. "I know. Losing a child is the worst thing anyone could possibly go through - and we've both been through a lot of awful things…"

They both gave dry chuckles, exchanging a glance.

"Yeah," Kyle muttered, then he took a deep breath, focusing on her voice rather than his memories when she continued.

"But this time will be different. Of course we can never be sure whether we'll be allowed to keep our children, but we're all here for you two, alright? And Tam… she's doing okay so far, yeah? Prenatal appointments all okay?"

Kyle nodded. "A healthy girl," he muttered, and Ricky's eyes widened as she gave him a sideways hug, resting her head against him as they both looked out.

"You already found out?"

"Just yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I'm just… I was just worried, you know…"

"I know... It's gonna be alright, Kyle. You're not alone, okay? I'm still right here." Ricky paused, stepping back a little until she could cup his face. "I'm sorry I wasn't there more when that thing with Isla went down-"

"You were, though. I was just too stubborn to listen."

"I should have visited you when you were in prison…"

He shrugged it off, shaking his head. "No. Isla… that was not on you. I was an idiot and I paid for it and now that's in the past. - You are my best friend, Rick. You're like the sister I always wanted and never had."

"Well, you have her now. If you'll let me. And if you and Tam need anything - _anything_ \- you know where to find me. We'll get this baby girl to grow up, Kyle. I can just feel it."

They both smiled. "Okay" Kyle muttered, then put an arm around her as they looked out again.

Brax was still joking around out there, Casey on his shoulders when he turned to beam at them both, waving, and Ricky and Kyle waved right back.

"Come on, let's go join these crazy folks out there," Ricky eventually said, taking a last sip of her tea, then she tugged at Kyle's hand and they both went out.


End file.
